Coimbatore Escape Fuels Criticism of Tamil Nadu Prison Management
A prisoner who was being transferred from police custody to the Coimbatore Central Jail managed to escape late on Friday, setting off fresh criticism of prison management in Tamil Nadu. The episode follows similar breaches reported from Chennai and Theni in recent days.
The man, Raghavan, had been arrested by the Annur police in a dacoity case and was placed in judicial custody after being produced before a local court.
Police had brought him to the Coimbatore jail campus to complete the formalities of admission. While officials were taking him through the two main security doors of the facility, the incident occurred. It is reported that his handcuffs were removed as he was being moved from the outer door towards the inner door.
Raghavan allegedly seized the moment, overpowered the escorting personnel's hold on him, and ran away. The Race Course police have registered a case and begun efforts to trace him.
The incident has also drawn attention to the handling of inmates during the handover from police to jail officials.
Reports indicate that this was Raghavan's second attempt to break out of custody. Earlier, during his arrest in Annur, he had slipped away but was apprehended soon afterwards.
The fresh escape has further raised doubts about the level of alertness maintained by the guarding staff. It comes after incidents at the Puzhal Central Jail in Chennai and the Thekkampatti sub-jail in Theni, leading opposition parties to call for accountability and a comprehensive review of security in all jails of the state.
PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss condemned the repeated lapses and attributed the Coimbatore escape to carelessness on the part of the security staff. He described such incidents as unacceptable and sought strict action against those responsible. He also asked the government to bolster security in all jails and cited the Chennai and Theni incidents as clear evidence that reforms are needed.
Edappadi K. Palaniswami, general secretary of AIADMK, also targeted the government in a social media post on X. Drawing a comparison with a television serial, he said the administration had not been able to stop repeated escapes despite assurances of improved security. He also questioned the effectiveness of official warnings, pointing out that the Coimbatore incident happened just hours after the Chief Minister had cautioned jail staff about negligence.